In Print:

LESSON 3
HADES - From Homer's Odyssey

by George Valsamis

A case in Greek is called πτῶσις (fall). A fall to where and whence? It is not a fall to the ground (or, maybe, from the ground to some kind of abyss!). If we like pictures, we can imagine this kind of fall, not as falling down, but as inclining, as leaning towards whatever comes near and attracts. This is why we talk about declensions of some parts of speech. Πτῶσις is what happens to Alcaeus when he meets with Sappho in the painting that follows:

 

 

A πτῶσις requires something Standing, something Upright. This upright position is what (some ancient philologues established and) we today incorrectly continue to call nominative case. First of all, we must think of the nominative not as a case, but as the lack of a case.

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/lessons/lesson3.asp?pg=9